Xiao Hongchen

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xiao Hongchen (笑红尘)
Gender	Male
Age	20 163
Affiliation	Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy; Hongchen Family 164 202
Occupation/Role	Soul Engineer; captain of the Sun Moon Royal Academy tournament team 173 182
Martial Soul	Three-legged Golden Toad 164
Rank	Soul Saint; Rank 7 Soul Engineer 164 206
First Appearance	Chapter 95

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Soul Saint (Rank 70) / Rank 7 Soul Engineer	163 164	After reaching Rank 70, Xiao Hongchen secluded himself with rare metals and completed Ascension, an exclusive Soul Tool path that fuses his body, Martial Soul, and metal construct.

Background & History

Xiao Hongchen first became fixated on Ning Wuque after witnessing his overwhelming performance at the Soul Dueling Tournament. Ning Wuque's presence and fighting spirit convinced Xiao that he had found an opponent worthy of him; he immediately left to seek him out rather than participate in the opening match. 95

He later introduced himself to Ning Wuque and called him his “fated rival,” though his blunt declaration that he “really like[d]” him created an awkward misunderstanding. Xiao's actual interest was Ning Wuque's will to fight and the personal conviction driving it. 97 118

For three years, Xiao struggled to reconcile his desire for direct, overwhelming strength with his identity as a Soul Engineer. He ultimately concluded that, rather than abandoning Soul Engineering for conventional Soul Power cultivation, he should make himself the core of a new Soul Tool path. With Jing Hongchen's support and rare-metal resources, he dissolved and fused his own body with metal, creating Metal Ascension. 165

At age twenty, Xiao unveiled Ascension to Jing Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, then tested it against two Soul Douluo. His ability to merge with the construct and withstand high-level Soul Tool attacks demonstrated a form of combat power previously considered impossible for a Rank 7 Soul Engineer. 163 164 165

Appearance

Xiao Hongchen is a white-haired young man whose normal physique is comparatively frail. In battle, he can replace his flesh with a metal body and fuse with Ascension, becoming a towering humanoid construct. 95 163 164

• White hair and a carefully cultivated, dramatic presence. 95 97
• In Ascension's initial form, he becomes a six-meter metal humanoid. 164 177
• With his Martial Soul Avatar, the form expands to fourteen meters tall. 164
• His transformed voice is cold, metallic, and notably emotionless. 164 177

Personality

Xiao is proud, theatrical, and intensely competitive. He values opponents with conviction and strength, particularly Ning Wuque, whom he considers the only opponent he can truly acknowledge. 95 163

Despite his arrogance, he displays consideration for opponents and teammates. He offered the exhausted Ning Yueming a chance to withdraw, carefully carried him back after winning, and tried to help Meng Hongchen learn from her defeat rather than simply criticizing her. 205 206

Metal Ascension severely alters his demeanor. After completing it, Xiao becomes cold, overly formal, and ruthlessly calculation-driven; Meng Hongchen observes that he treats himself like a Soul Tool rather than a person. He shows little concern for this change even after undergoing an examination. 166 182

Abilities & Skills

Metal Ascension

Xiao's defining creation is Ascension, a Class One restricted Soul Tool designed exclusively for the Three-legged Golden Toad Martial Soul. Rather than piloting it, Xiao transforms himself into its spiritual core and fuses his flesh with metal. 163 164

• Consists of six major components: head, torso, and four limbs. 163
• The components can be disassembled and stored in six specialized Storage Soul Tools located at his elbows, knees, chest, and crown. 163
• Uses Metal Control, Golden Shaping, Golden Devotion, and Golden Vassal to merge his body with the construct. 164
• His Martial Soul Avatar completes the transformation and massively enlarges the Metal Giant. 164
• His Martial Soul Avatar has a seven-day cooldown after use. 208

Metal Manipulation

Through his Three-legged Golden Toad Martial Soul, Xiao can liquefy, shape, move, and repair metal in combat. 164 205 206

• Metal Control allows him to manipulate prepared metal and the Ascension construct. 164 205
• Golden Boiling liquefies metal, while Golden Shaping forms it into combat structures. 164 205
• He can create giant hands, shields, barriers, and other defensive structures with minimal Soul Power expenditure. 205 206
• He can reshape his arms into weapons, including Metal Construction—Battle Axes. 165
• His metal body can repair damage and analyze incoming threats while fighting. 206 208

Soul Power Absorption and Defense

Ascension's metal body is exceptionally effective against attacks composed primarily of Soul Power.

• Soul Tool Rays that do not exceed the construct's tolerance can be absorbed or rendered ineffective. 165
• He withstood Rank 8 Soul Tool Ray attacks without visible damage during testing. 165
• Rank 7 Soul Tool cannonballs were largely blocked by defensive engravings and the natural hardness of his metal body. 165
• Pure explosive force and sustained close combat remain viable counters; two Soul Douluo eventually defeated him after more than ten minutes of combat. 166
• Extreme heat can damage the outer surface, though Xiao can preserve the core and repair the construct. 208

Soul Skills

Xiao possesses seven soul rings: two yellow, two purple, and three black. 164 177

• First Soul Skill — Metal Control: Manipulates metal. 164
• Second Soul Skill — Golden Boiling: Liquefies and energizes metal. 164
• Third Soul Skill — Golden Shaping: Forms liquid metal into weapons and structures. 164 205
• Fourth Soul Skill — Golden Sacrifice: Supports his complete fusion with Ascension. 164
• Fifth Soul Skill — Golden Devotion: Supports his metal fusion. 164
• Sixth Soul Skill — Golden Vassal: Supports his metal fusion. 164
• Seventh Soul Skill — Martial Soul Avatar: Enlarges Ascension into the full Metal Giant. 164

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Ascension — Xiao's custom metal-fusion Soul Tool and Metal Giant body. 163 164
• Six specialized Storage Soul Tools — Store Ascension's separated components. 163
• Prepared metal spheres and rare metals — Used for rapid metal shaping in battle. 205 206
• Mayfly Soul Tool Ray Gun — A Soul Tool Xiao could have used to defeat an exhausted Ning Yueming, though he chose not to rely on it. 205

Relationships

• Ning Wuque — Fated rival, respected opponent, and later friend. Xiao's pursuit of Metal Ascension began with his desire to defeat Ning Wuque head-on. 95 97 163 201
• Meng Hongchen — Younger sister and teammate. They frequently bicker, but Meng protects him during Ascension and worries deeply about the emotional changes caused by his new path. 163 166 207
• Jing Hongchen — Grandfather and principal supporter. Jing supplied resources, technical access, and Soul Douluo test opponents despite his concerns about Xiao's radical research. 164 165
• Ning Yueming — Tournament opponent. Xiao encouraged him to withdraw when exhausted, then respectfully carried him back after defeating him. 205 206
• Wu Feng — Major tournament opponent. Xiao's custom defenses allowed him to endure her extreme heat and outlast her until her Soul Power was exhausted. 207 208

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rivalry with Ning Wuque

• Witnesses Ning Wuque's tournament victory and immediately identifies him as a worthy opponent. 95
• Seeks Ning Wuque out repeatedly to understand the conviction behind his fighting spirit. 97 118
• Develops Ascension specifically to challenge Ning Wuque in direct combat. 163

Metal Ascension

• Rejects both conventional Soul Master cultivation and traditional Soul Engineer doctrine in favor of an unconventional self-metal fusion path. 165
• Reveals Ascension to Jing Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, then tests it against two Soul Douluo. 164 165
• Emerges as a Metal Ascended Soul Master, but his emotional detachment becomes increasingly apparent. 166 182

Soul Dueling Tournament

• Hosts Ning Wuque's group in Mingdu, shows them the city's Soul Tool infrastructure, and unsuccessfully invites the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to develop in the Sun Moon Empire. 170 171
• Opens the tournament for Sun Moon Royal Academy, defeating Dragon Slaying Sect opponents with overwhelming force while challenging Ning Wuque from across the arena. 177 178 179
• Defeats Ning Yueming and several other Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan contestants in the Individual Elimination Match. 205 206
• Uses Ascension's defensive adaptation to withstand Wu Feng's attacks until she exhausts her Soul Power, securing Sun Moon Royal Academy's victory. 207 208

Hongchen Family Dinner

• Invites Ning Wuque to the Hongchen Family's testing grounds after conflict over the Sun Moon Empire's association with Evil Soul Masters. 201
• Shows respect for Ning Wuque's moral position and apologizes to both Ning Wuque and Ju Zi for the tension surrounding the dinner. 201

Notable Quotes

“I really like you.” — Xiao Hongchen to Ning Wuque 97

“Flesh is weak. I do not possess powerful vital energy, but heaven has granted me another path to break free of flesh's shackles—metal!” 163

“At this moment, I transform myself into the soul of metal and grant it complete spirituality.” 164

“Feel the allure of steel.” 205

Trivia

• Xiao once waited outside a meeting room for nearly an hour while holding a dramatic pose; his legs went numb, but he refused to break character. 97
• Ascension has no cockpit because Xiao himself becomes part of the Soul Tool rather than operating it from within. 163 164
• His breakthrough was considered significant enough that scholars and even Level 9 Soul Engineers recorded sketches and notes while watching his Metal Giant fight. 179